Articles in Category: Administration
Items related to Leo, Ask Leo! and overall website and related operations and administrivia.
My Yahoo account was stolen and recovered, but now I'm getting suspicious emails. What should I do?
If your account is stolen and later recovered, you need to carefully examine the account. It may also be advisable to stop using it altogether.
Is this "Account updates!!!!!" email legitimate?
“Account updates!!!!!” is a recent and frequent attempt at phishing. I’ll break down why it’s so obviously bogus, to show things to look for elsewhere.
How long should a hard drive last?
After experiencing another hard drive failure, I realize why you should be scared, and want to share yet more reasons that backups are so critical.
How should I make my files accessible via the internet?
The internet is everywhere and yet – using it to access your own files isn’t as obvious as you might like. I’ll look at some options.
How do I convert a PDF document into a Word document?
It’s not uncommon to want to take a PDF file and convert it to a more easily editable format like Word. Problem is, PDF wasn’t mean to do that.
Why won't services just email me my password instead of making me set a new one?
A service practicing proper security actually doesn’t know your password. I’ll cover how that works and why it’s very important.
Someone has created a fake social media profile with my name – how do I remove this fake account?
It’s trivial to create accounts on both free email and social media services impersonating someone else. Unfortunately, it’s not so trivial to clean up.
How do I get Hotmail to close my stolen account?
If your Hotmail account has been stolen your only recourse it to try to regain access. Only then can you close it. I’ll look at the recovery steps.
Why are reboots required on some system updates?
When Windows updates itself it’s subject to many of the same rules other software is. One rule: you can’t make changes to running software.
How do I back up my installed software?
Backing up installed software often happens with system backups, but it’s not enough. You need additional steps to properly backup installed software.
Kindle – Much more than an electronic portable book reader
The Kindle reader from Amazon is changing the way many people read. An overlooked capability makes Kindle much more than just a reading device.
With Microsoft providing Microsoft Security Essentials do I no longer need to purchase malware protection?
Microsoft Security Essentials provides basic anti-virus and anti-spyware scanning for free. It appears to be a reasonable anti-malware tool for many.
Why does my computer make the sound of a door slamming from time to time?
Unexpected sounds coming from your computer can be startling and disturbing. In many cases, however, there’s a simple explanation.
Does restoring a backup also reformat the hard drive?
Restoring a backup doesn’t technically reformat the drive, but the results are often similar. I’ll look at the differences and when they might matter.
What Are These Partitions on My Hard Drive?
Many manufacturers create separate recovery partitions on hard drives. I’ll discuss what they often are, and why I ignore or even eliminate them.
How can I tell what kind of WiFi encryption I'm using?
It’s easy to tell what kind of encryption is being used on available networks. Changing it, however, requires access to the wireless router.
Why won't my files open even after they've been transferred to my new PC?
Transferring files from one PC to another is an important part of moving to a new PC. Unfortunately, it’s not the only part.
How do I create a bootable Windows XP CD using BartPE?
Windows can’t just make a bootable CD but BartPE’s PE Builder will use your install disc to create a very useful, bootable, Windows utility CD.
How do I create a Windows XP SP3 "slipstream" disc?
I found myself in need of a real Windows XP + SP3 installation CD. I’ll walk you through the process to create one from a pre-SP3 installation CD.
Do I Need to Back Up My BIOS? What About Backwards Compatibility?
Your computer’s BIOS is not typically backed up. I’ll look at why, and whether you should be concerned about backwards compatibility when upgrading it.
What's the minimum amount of internet security software I need?
It’s common for machines to be overloaded with security software. Too much, however, can cause problems. I’ll look at the minimum needed.
How do I unblock email to me that my ISP is blocking without asking?
Email providers use many techniques to attempt to stem the flow of spam. Occasionally, those techniques can cause legitimate mail to be blocked as well.
How do I get the free Windows XP SP3 download to install? And do I really need it?
Windows XP SP3 can occasionally have install problems. I’ll look at steps to take to make it work since it’ll soon be required for continued support.
Can my neighbors see my WiFi if I can see theirs?
If you’re close enough to see someone else’s wireless network chances are they can see yours. There’s one step you must take to stay secure.
How do I get people to stop asking me to fix their computers?
Once your friends become used to your providing technical support and assistance it can be difficult if your situation changes. I’ll offer some ideas.
How do I get rid of this msconfig startup error after making changes?
After making changes using msconfig it restarts on your next boot and presents what appears to be an error message. It’s not. I’ll look at what it is.
How do I cancel a Yahoo email account?
Yahoo provides a free email service as well as many other free features. If you want to delete your Yahoo account – well, that link is well hidden.
Should I Install Optional Windows Driver Updates?
Microsoft Windows Update will often suggest optional Windows driver updates. They’re optional, so you don’t need to take them, but should you?
Would you please reopen my Hotmail account?!
I get a constant stream of people asking me to re-open their Hotmail or other email account as if I were Hotmail or their ISP. Problem is: I’m not.
Why does installing from scratch take so long? Isn't there a better way?
Installing Windows from scratch, particularly an older version, can take some time. I’ll look at why it’s fairly inevitable, and one trick you might use.
How do I transfer information such as contacts and mail from one Windows Live Hotmail account to another?
Transferring information out of a Hotmail account can be difficult. It’s impossible if you don’t have access to the account.
What happens if I let my email account expire?
Allowing an email account to expire is a convenient way to close it, but make absolutely certain it’s what you want, or there could be serious issues.
How do I get pictures from my camera if its software doesn't work on my computer?
Digital cameras are often accompanied with software that you are encouraged to install first. Often it’s not required; I’ll show you the alternative.
How do I get Hotmail or Messenger without Windows Live?
Windows Live is the branding use for Microsoft’s Hotmail, Messenger and other services. I’ll review how to control how much Windows Live you get.
How do I get the correct program to open my PDF files?
By accident or design the wrong program can sometimes be the default for some file types. I’ll show you how to pick the right program and make it stick.
How do I control the names displayed in my inbox?
The name displayed along with an email address – the display name – is easy to change for email you send. For email you receive? Not so much.
How do I fix Windows after removing a virus?
Once you’ve removed malware from an infected machine it’s possible that Windows may suffer lingering side-effects. I’ll look at why and what to do.
How Do I Restore from a Backup?
You’ve been good and you’ve been making sure your machine is backed up regularly. Now I’ll cover what happens should you need to restore from a backup.
How do I fix my USB port crashing my machine?
I’ll run through options to fix your USB port if your computer crashes on inserting any USB device. It can be software, but it’s probably hardware.
Terms of Service Violation: Why won't my email provider tell me what I did wrong?
If you’re account is closed for terms of service violation, it’s natural to want to know why. I’ll explain why they probably can’t tell you.
"Windows Live Hotmail has blocked some attachments …" – how do I get around that?
“Windows Live Hotmail has blocked some attachments in this message because they appear to be unsafe.” means Hotmail is protecting you from malware.
Is my computer secure now that I'm running anti-virus and anti-spyware software?
“Is my PC secure” really has only one answer: no. A more practical question is: what steps can you take to be as secure as possible?
Why are there two iexplore.exe Internet Explorer processes when I've run it just once?
With the release of IE8 many people are noticing that there is more than one iexplore.exe process when they run IE. I’ll look at why.
What's an ebook, how do I get it and what do I do with it?
Ebooks are a popular publishing mechanism that allow you to purchase and instantly download a book to your computer. We’ll look at what and how.
How do you use more than one anti-virus program?
While no single anti-virus program can catch all viruses, running more than one anti-virus program can cause problems. And it also might not help.
Someone's stolen my email account and is scamming my contacts for money, what do I do?
If your contacts suddenly get email from “you” claiming your overseas and in desperate need of funds to get home – your account has been hacked.
How do I get a pinned taskbar item to run with administrative privileges in Windows 7?
Pinning something to the task bar in Windows 7 is convenient, but appears to hide the “run as administrator” option. We’ll find it.
What is "Windows.old" and can I delete it?
Windows Setup may leave the prior installation of Windows on your hard disk as a backup safety measure. I’ll discuss and then delete it.
Is it OK to use this random wireless network that I just found?
When scanning for wireless connections you may find several that are unknown yet and appear open and available. Using them is risky. Very risky.
My computer logs out immediately on login, what do I do?
If you’re logged out as soon as you log in to Windows it’s likely that your anti-malware tools removed an infection along with your ability to login.
